david copperfield(大卫.科波维尔)-第85部分
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myself； and to feel； when I shut my outer door； like Robinson
Crusoe； when he had got into his fortification； and pulled his
ladder up after him。 It was a wonderfully fine thing to walk about
town with the key of my house in my pocket； and to know that I
could ask any fellow to come home； and make quite sure of its
being inconvenient to nobody； if it were not so to me。 It was a
wonderfully fine thing to let myself in and out； and to come and go
without a word to anyone； and to ring Mrs。 Crupp up； gasping；
from the depths of the earth； when I wanted her—and when she
was disposed to come。 All this； I say； was wonderfully fine； but I
must say； too； that there were times when it was very dreary。
It was fine in the morning； particularly in the fine mornings。 It
looked a very fresh； free life； by daylight： still fresher； and more
free； by sunlight。 But as the day declined； the life seemed to go
down too。 I don’t know how it was； it seldom looked well by
candle…light。 I wanted somebody to talk to； then。 I missed Agnes。 I
found a tremendous blank； in the place of that smiling repository
of my confidence。 Mrs。 Crupp appeared to be a long way off。 I
thought about my predecessor； who had died of drink and smoke；
and I could have wished he had been so good as to live； and not
bother me with his decease。
After two days and nights； I felt as if I had lived there for a year；
and yet I was not an hour older； but was quite as much tormented
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by my own youthfulness as ever。
Steerforth not yet appearing； which induced me to apprehend
that he must be ill； I left the Commons early on the third day； and
walked out to Highgate。 Mrs。 Steerforth was very glad to see me；
and said that he had gone away with one of his Oxford friends to
see another who lived near St。 Albans； but that she expected him
to return tomorrow。 I was so fond of him； that I felt quite jealous of
his Oxford friends。
As she pressed me to stay to dinner； I remained； and I believe
we talked about nothing but him all day。 I told her how much the
people liked him at Yarmouth； and what a delightful companion
he had been。 Miss Dartle was full of hints and mysterious
questions； but took a great interest in all our proceedings there；
and said； ‘Was it really though？’ and so forth； so often； that she got
everything out of me she wanted to know。 Her appearance was
exactly what I have described it； when I first saw her； but the
society of the two ladies was so agreeable； and came so natural to
me； that I felt myself falling a little in love with her。 I could not
help thinking； several times in the course of the evening； and
particularly when I walked home at night； what delightful
company she would be in Buckingham Street。
I was taking my coffee and roll in the morning； before going to
the Commons—and I may observe in this place that it is surprising
how much coffee Mrs。 Crupp used； and how weak it was；
considering—when Steerforth himself walked in； to my
unbounded joy。
‘My dear Steerforth；’ cried I； ‘I began to think I should never
see you again！’
‘I was carried off； by force of arms；’ said Steerforth； ‘the very
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next morning after I got home。 Why； Daisy； what a rare old
bachelor you are here！’
I showed him over the establishment； not omitting the pantry；
with no little pride； and he commended it highly。 ‘I tell you what；
old boy；’ he added； ‘I shall make quite a town…house of this place；
unless you give me notice to quit。’
This was a delightful hearing。 I told him if he waited for that； he
would have to wait till doomsday。
‘But you shall have some breakfast！’ said I； with my hand on the
bell…rope； ‘and Mrs。 Crupp shall make you some fresh coffee； and
I’ll toast you some bacon in a bachelor’s Dutch…oven； that I have
got here。’
‘No； no！’ said Steerforth。 ‘Don’t ring！ I can’t！ I am going to
breakfast with one of these fellows who is at the Piazza Hotel； in
Covent Garden。’
‘But you’ll come back to dinner？’ said I。
‘I can’t； upon my life。 There’s nothing I should like better； but I
must remain with these two fellows。 We are all three off together
tomorrow morning。’
‘Then bring them here to dinner；’ I returned。 ‘Do you think they
would come？’
‘Oh！ they would come fast enough；’ said Steerforth； ‘but we
should inconvenience you。 You had better come and dine with us
somewhere。’
I would not by any means consent to this； for it occurred to me
that I really ought to have a little house…warming； and that there
never could be a better opportunity。 I had a new pride in my
rooms after his approval of them； and burned with a desire to
develop their utmost resources。 I therefore made him promise
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positively in the names of his two friends； and we appointed six
o’clock as the dinner…hour。
When he was gone； I rang for Mrs。 Crupp； and acquainted her
with my desperate design。 Mrs。 Crupp said； in the first place； of
course it was well known she couldn’t be expected to wait； but she
knew a handy young man； who she thought could be prevailed
upon to do it； and whose terms would be five shillings； and what I
pleased。 I said； certainly we would have him。 Next Mrs。 Crupp said
it was clear she couldn’t be in two places at once （which I felt to be
reasonable）； and that ‘a young gal’ stationed in the pantry with a
bedroom candle； there never to desist from washing plates； would
be indispensable。 I said； what would be the expense of this young
female？ and Mrs。 Crupp said she supposed eighteenpence would
neither make me nor break me。 I said I supposed not； and that was
settled。 Then Mrs。 Crupp said； Now about the dinner。
It was a remarkable instance of want of forethought on the part
of the ironmonger who had made Mrs。 Crupp’s kitchen fireplace；
that it was capable of cooking nothing but chops and mashed
potatoes。 As to a fish…kittle； Mrs。 Crupp said； well！ would I only
come and look at the range？ She couldn’t say fairer than that。
Would I come and look at it？ As I should not have been much the
wiser if I had looked at it； I declined； and said； ‘Never mind fish。’
But Mrs。 Crupp said； Don’t say that； oysters was in； why not them？
So that was settled。 Mrs。 Crupp then said what she would
recommend would be this。 A pair of hot roast fowls—from the
pastry…cook’s； a dish of stewed beef； with vegetables—from the
pastry…cook’s； two little corner things； as a raised pie and a dish of
kidneys—from the pastrycook’s； a tart； and （if I liked） a shape of
jelly—from the pastrycook’s。 This； Mrs。 Crupp said； would leave
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her at full liberty to concentrate her mind on the potatoes； and to
serve up the cheese and celery as she could wish to see it done。
I acted on Mrs。 Crupp’s opinion； and gave the order at the
pastry…cook’s myself。 Walking along the Strand； afterwards； and
observing a hard mottled substance in the window of a ham and
beef shop； which resembled marble； but was labelled ‘Mock
Turtle’； I went in and bought a slab of it； which I have since seen
reason to believe would have sufficed for fifteen people。 This
preparation； Mrs。 Crupp； after some difficulty； consented to warm
up； and it shrunk so much in a liquid state； that we found it what
Steerforth called ‘rather a tight fit’ for four。
These preparations happily completed； I bought a little dessert
in Covent Garden Market； and gave a rather extensive order at a
retail wine…merchant’s in that vicinity。 When I came home in the
afternoon； and saw the bottles drawn up in a square on the pantry
floor； they looked so numerous （though there were two missing；
which made Mrs。 Crupp very uncomfortable）； that I was
absolutely frightened at them。
One of Steerforth’s friends was named Grainger； and the other
Markham。 They were both very gay and lively fellows； Grainger；
something older than Steerforth； Markham； youthful…looking； and
I should say not more than twenty。 I observed that the latter
always spoke of himself indefinitely； as ‘a man’； and seldom or
never in the first person singular。
‘A man might get on very well here； Mr。 Copperfield；’ said
Markham—meaning himself。
‘It’s not a bad situation；’ said I； ‘and the rooms are really
commodious。’
‘I hope you have both brought appetites with you？’ said
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Steerforth。
‘Upon my honour；’ returned Markham； ‘town seems to sharpen
a man’s appetite。 A man is hungry all day long。 A man is
perpetually eating。’
Being a little embarrassed at first； and feeling much too young
to preside； I made Steerforth take the head of the table when
dinner was announced； and seated myself opposite to him。
Everything was very good； we did not spare the wine； and he
exerted himself so brilliantly to make the thing pass off well； that
there was no pause in our festivity。 I was not quite such good
company during dinner as I could have wished to be； for my chair
was opposite the door； and my attention was distracted by
observing that the handy young man went out of the room very
often； and that his shadow always presented itself； immediately
afterwards； on the wall of the entry； with a bottle at its mouth。 The
‘young gal’ likewise occasioned me some uneasiness： not so much
by neglecting to wash the plates； as by breaking them。 For being of
an inquisitive disposition； and unable to confine herself （as her
positive instructions were） to the pantry； she was constantly
peering in at us； and constantly imagining herself detected； in
which belief； she several times retired upon the plates （with which
she had carefully paved the floor）； and did a great deal of
destruction。
These； however； were small drawbacks； and easily forgotten
when the cloth was cleared； and the dessert put on the table； at
which period of the ente
